May 5, 2025 • 5 mins
In this week's episode of Arrow on the Air hosted by Alex Barton, First Ari Ortiz will discuss a campus-wide protest, organized by SEMO’s College Democrats. Then, Neva Wodochek, will be looking back at the 1949 Cape Girardeau Tornado.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to this week's episode of ARA on the Air.
I'm your host, Alex Barton. We've got a powerful lineup today,
starting with a look at a protest on Southeast Missouri
State University's campus. Then we'll be turning back the clock
to explore the devastation of the nineteen forty nine Cave
Jardo tornado and how it still resonates with survivors today.
But first, let's dive into the protest that took place
on Friday, May second. Here's ri orts.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
On Friday evening May second, at Southeast Missouri State University,
dozens gathered at academic terroces for the campus wide protest
organized by Simous College Democrats. Their mission was to raise
awareness about US immigration and Customs enforcement and protect students
at risk of deportation. Just a day earlier, eight international
(00:46):
students and sixteen recent graduates learn their CVIS records have
then terminated over minor violations, putting their legal status in jeopardy.
Parker Cobden, a software musical theater major, opens the protest.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
I want to thank everyone.
Speaker 4 (01:04):
So much for showing up today.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
We're going to be taking our march down Pacific and
then we're going to take our march up and down
Broadway to the river Walk and back. Thank you all
so much for being here, and thank you so much
to Andy and all.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
The other speakers. Attendees also heard from a few different
student voices, including sophomore acting major and Helmer Larson. As
a student here from Norway. Larson talked about her experience.
Speaker 5 (01:29):
Neutrality is not an option Nolvin comes to human rights.
Not when people around me are being told to leave
everything that they have built here for reasons as small
as traffic violations. Not when silence means complicitly or I
won't leave, and I won't be quiet, because not everyone
(01:50):
can speak up without risking everything, and I will not
stand by while that happens.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
Other students joined the protests to support their fellow classmates.
After the speeches, the arch began towards downtown Cape. The
group marched down Pacific to Broadway and continued down to
the river Walk and back, ending back at the terraces
along the way. Students shared their fears and calls for
action for area on the air. I'm Ari Ortiz.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
While today's political climate brings current challenges to the forefront,
it's important to remember the storms of the past. Literally.
Now we turn to a traffic event from Cape Garardo's history,
one that still echoes through the community. Niva Woodacheck takes
us back to May twenty first, nineteen forty nine, when
a deadly tornado changed the region forever.
Speaker 6 (02:42):
Missouri is no stranger to tornadoes. From Joplin to Delta.
These storms have scarred the land and the people for generations.
But one storm still echoes through time. It's Saturday, May
twenty first, nineteen forty nine. Around seven pm, a violent
EF four tornado tears into northwest Cape Gerardo. Twenty seven
tornadoes that hit the region that May, but this one
(03:03):
causes the most destruction by far. Twenty three lives are lost,
over two hundred and twenty homes and businesses are leveled.
Red Star and Marble City Heights are almost wiped off
the mat. Carol Little is just nine years old. She's
with her father driving home from Erin's.
Speaker 4 (03:18):
We were on Ban Road and Daddy said, Carol, I
think we'd better hurry on home because I think where
we might be getting a storm. When we got out
of the car, we could see Lumber and oh, we
could see that tornado going up over the river and
(03:39):
we just missed it by I guess it was just
following us. It was just so it was so dramatic.
Speaker 6 (03:48):
In the aftermath, she remembers one family sheltering in their
basement as their home is ripped apart.
Speaker 4 (03:53):
There was one family that, of course, we talked about
it a lot and have talked about it down through
the years. But one family said they were in the
basement and their house just got blown completely away. But
they were, you know, there was debris falling on top
of them, but they all get five or six of them,
(04:14):
they got below a table and they set that table.
It's actually what saved them.
Speaker 6 (04:20):
The damage totals over three point five million dollars. But
amid the destruction, Carol Fund's faith.
Speaker 4 (04:26):
I knew, and my parents and my family all knew
that God had spared our life because when I think
back on how close we were, they're just I mean,
we just literally drove up in our yard and it
was flying right just in the distance.
Speaker 6 (04:47):
Seventy six years later, the scars of that storm still remain.
For air on the air, I'm Neva.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
With a check.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
Thank you for tuning into this week's episode of Aero
on the Air. Be sure to join us next time
for more stories that impact our community and beyond. For
Arrow on the Air, I'm Alex Barton, M
Welcome to this week's episode of ARA on the Air.
I'm your host, Alex Barton. We've got a powerful lineup today,
starting with a look at a protest on Southeast Missouri
State University's campus. Then we'll be turning back the clock
to explore the devastation of the nineteen forty nine Cave
Jardo tornado and how it still resonates with survivors today.
But first, let's dive into the protest that took place
on Friday, May second. Here's ri orts.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
On Friday evening May second, at Southeast Missouri State University,
dozens gathered at academic terroces for the campus wide protest
organized by Simous College Democrats. Their mission was to raise
awareness about US immigration and Customs enforcement and protect students
at risk of deportation. Just a day earlier, eight international
(00:46):
students and sixteen recent graduates learn their CVIS records have
then terminated over minor violations, putting their legal status in jeopardy.
Parker Cobden, a software musical theater major, opens the protest.
Speaker 3 (01:02):
I want to thank everyone.
Speaker 4 (01:04):
So much for showing up today.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
We're going to be taking our march down Pacific and
then we're going to take our march up and down
Broadway to the river Walk and back. Thank you all
so much for being here, and thank you so much
to Andy and all.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
The other speakers. Attendees also heard from a few different
student voices, including sophomore acting major and Helmer Larson. As
a student here from Norway. Larson talked about her experience.
Speaker 5 (01:29):
Neutrality is not an option Nolvin comes to human rights.
Not when people around me are being told to leave
everything that they have built here for reasons as small
as traffic violations. Not when silence means complicitly or I
won't leave, and I won't be quiet, because not everyone
(01:50):
can speak up without risking everything, and I will not
stand by while that happens.
Speaker 2 (01:55):
Other students joined the protests to support their fellow classmates.
After the speeches, the arch began towards downtown Cape. The
group marched down Pacific to Broadway and continued down to
the river Walk and back, ending back at the terraces
along the way. Students shared their fears and calls for
action for area on the air. I'm Ari Ortiz.
Speaker 1 (02:24):
While today's political climate brings current challenges to the forefront,
it's important to remember the storms of the past. Literally.
Now we turn to a traffic event from Cape Garardo's history,
one that still echoes through the community. Niva Woodacheck takes
us back to May twenty first, nineteen forty nine, when
a deadly tornado changed the region forever.
Speaker 6 (02:42):
Missouri is no stranger to tornadoes. From Joplin to Delta.
These storms have scarred the land and the people for generations.
But one storm still echoes through time. It's Saturday, May
twenty first, nineteen forty nine. Around seven pm, a violent
EF four tornado tears into northwest Cape Gerardo. Twenty seven
tornadoes that hit the region that May, but this one
(03:03):
causes the most destruction by far. Twenty three lives are lost,
over two hundred and twenty homes and businesses are leveled.
Red Star and Marble City Heights are almost wiped off
the mat. Carol Little is just nine years old. She's
with her father driving home from Erin's.
Speaker 4 (03:18):
We were on Ban Road and Daddy said, Carol, I
think we'd better hurry on home because I think where
we might be getting a storm. When we got out
of the car, we could see Lumber and oh, we
could see that tornado going up over the river and
(03:39):
we just missed it by I guess it was just
following us. It was just so it was so dramatic.
Speaker 6 (03:48):
In the aftermath, she remembers one family sheltering in their
basement as their home is ripped apart.
Speaker 4 (03:53):
There was one family that, of course, we talked about
it a lot and have talked about it down through
the years. But one family said they were in the
basement and their house just got blown completely away. But
they were, you know, there was debris falling on top
of them, but they all get five or six of them,
(04:14):
they got below a table and they set that table.
It's actually what saved them.
Speaker 6 (04:20):
The damage totals over three point five million dollars. But
amid the destruction, Carol Fund's faith.
Speaker 4 (04:26):
I knew, and my parents and my family all knew
that God had spared our life because when I think
back on how close we were, they're just I mean,
we just literally drove up in our yard and it
was flying right just in the distance.
Speaker 6 (04:47):
Seventy six years later, the scars of that storm still remain.
For air on the air, I'm Neva.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
With a check.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
Thank you for tuning into this week's episode of Aero
on the Air. Be sure to join us next time
for more stories that impact our community and beyond. For
Arrow on the Air, I'm Alex Barton, M
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